AT&T gets iPhone extension through 2010, CEO talks plans

In a recent interview, AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson talked about the iPhone, …

Randall Stephenson has been at the helm of AT&T for just over a year now, and has managed to help kick off the launch of the iPhone and iPhone 3G with great success. Like Steve Jobs, Stephenson doesn't participate in too many interviews, but recently sat down with USA Today to talk about the iPhone 3G and his plans for AT&T.

Although some of the information in the piece is old news, there are also a few new items. For one thing, AT&T "sources" revealed to the paper that in exchange for the subsidy-based pricing, AT&T received an extra year of iPhone exclusivity, and will be the sole US carrier of the device through 2010. And, speaking of subsidy-based pricing, it turns out that Stephenson played a role in the new subsidy model, although it's unclear just how much convincing Steve Jobs needed.

Now that the iPhone is cheaper (up front, anyway), Stephenson says that it's bringing in a "whole new demographic." iPhone owners also bring in twice as much monthly revenue as owners of other devices, so the new subsidy arrangement is working out quite well for AT&T. According to Stephenson, the iPhone is "everything we hoped it would be" and has worked nicely with his vision of big leaps towards mobile services for everyone.